{"id":26101,"date":"2020-11-06T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/2021\/05\/07\/preaching-on-zephaniah\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T22:51:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T22:51:06","slug":"preaching-on-zephaniah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-zephaniah\/","title":{"rendered":"Preaching on Zephaniah"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Historical Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Zephaniah was a prophet of God who lived during the final years of the Southern Kingdom of Judah (640-609 BC). Unlike Habakkuk and other prophets who hid their identities, Zephaniah opens his writings by not only naming himself as the writer, but also traces his lineage back to the former king of Judah, Hezekiah (1:1). Being a descendent of royalty would have given him direct access to the Judah\u2019s king, Josiah (1:1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like most prophetic books, in order to understand it correctly, it is imperative to grasp the context of the prophet. Zephaniah was a contemporary with Jeremiah, however, Zephaniah\u2019s mission field was Judah, not Israel. For decades, Judah had failed spiritually under the reigns of Hezekiah\u2019s son Manasseh (695\u2013642 BC) and grandson Amon (642\u2013640 BC). They had allowed false gods, idolatry, and debauchery to infiltrate Judah. In addition, there was a complete neglect for the Book of the Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In God\u2019s providence, Hilkiah the high priest found the Book of the Law when repairing the house of the Lord (2 Kings 22:8). After reading it, King Josiah repented and sought to correct the ungodly worship that transpired throughout the kingdom (2 Kings 23). Zephaniah either prophesized before, and\/or perhaps during Josiah\u2019s reforms. Unfortunately, the wicked kings before Josiah had done too much damage and Judah was never able to recover. Worshipping false gods ingrained the people of Judah. Despite his best efforts, Josiah was unable to bring Judah back fully to the Lord and he was eventually killed on the battlefield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zephaniah was given words from the Lord describing all that would happen. In the Book of Zephaniah are his writings warning the king, leaders, and people of what was to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most scholars agree that the book can be broken down into three main sections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1:1 Opening<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1:2-2:3 The Lord\u2019s Judgement on the Whole Earth and Judah<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2:4-3:8 Judgment on Specific Nations and Jerusalem<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3:9-20 Hope for All<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Chart: Preaching Through Zephaniah<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We know the weekly grind of sermon prep is hard, whether you are in the midst of series or planning a new series. Trying to find key verses you need to highlight in your sermon, finding the historical background to the book, discovering the flow\/structure of book, and even figuring out what is the theme of each section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why we created this chart! This chart is designed to save you time<\/strong> as you prepare to preach a new sermon series from the Book of Zephaniah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will find a quick visual overview of the movement of the Book of Zephaniah. It will help orient you and your hearers as you preach through the entire book or sections of the book. It provides, at a glance, one way to divide the book into pericopes. The chart includes key verses in the book, an overarching title for the book, the overall message of the book, and some historical background. It is color-coded to highlight certain defining aspects of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chart could be used as a slide in your church service. It could serve as an introduction to a new series or a weekly check-in before you begin preaching. It could even be printed out and given to the members of your church, as a resource to help them grasp the message of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/span>
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Sermon Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Title for Series 1: Many Nations Not Under God <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Big Idea for Series<\/strong>: God Sees and Righty Responds to All Nations<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A citizen of the United States of America vows his or her loyalty and commitment to the nation and its values by restating the Pledge of Allegiance. Often times, children grow up memorizing and practicing this pledge in grade school or at other community functions. This sermon series plays off the notion that it is challenging for a nation to be fully devoted to God. In other words, is any nation truly, \u201cone nation under God?\u201d In the years of Josiah, the king, Zephaniah prophesized to Judah and the surrounding nations, that God brings justice to nations who do not worship the Lord. However, there is hope for those that remain faithful. This sermon series can remind people that any nation who does not worship God is subject to his judgement, but also is able to receive his grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Title for Series 2: A Painful Kind of Love<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Big Idea for Series<\/strong>: God Purifies His People in Love<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some believe that the God of the Old Testament is a God of judgement and the God of the New Testament is a God of love. Some may even think of God as a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. However, in this series, the listeners can learn that God purifies his people because of his intense love for them. Zephaniah contains some of the most powerful imagery of God\u2019s wrath found throughout the Bible. However, God\u2019s wrath is not simply to destroy, but rather to redeem and purify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text: Zephaniah 1:1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n